Thom Barry, LCSW

About me

Clients don’t come to me with their problems- they come to me with their solutions that have not been working. Most often the solutions (symptoms) make sense when viewed as being micro-adaptations to environmental stressors or an attempt to solve the problem. What I have found to be true and what the research also indicates is that a key factor in effective therapy, is the working relationship between the client and therapist.
At this point of the bio I can start throwing out many different treatment modalities that I use, explain my theoretical framework or use catchy phrases like 'unconditional positive regard, client centered treatment' however, I find that to be effective in my role I need to explain things in ways that they can easily be understood. I imagine that we all have an invisible bucket we carry around with us on a daily basis. Sometimes we add things (stressors) to our bucket and sometimes those around us dump their things in our bucket also. When our bucket has become overfilled, this is when problems begin to happen in our day to day lives. My goal is to give you a safe place to empty your overflowing bucket and learn ways to keep it from getting so filled up.
We will explore your issues, help you to articulate what you're feeling/thinking and strategize on how to make meaningful, lasting change. As a bonus, I might even make you crack a smile or laugh on occasion. Being human, we seek comfort and predictability. You are to be commended for stepping out of your comfort zone, choosing action rather than status quo! The personal growth and insight that can occur from our sessions is much like learning and preparing to do a backflip for the first time. Are you ready to do backflips?

Professional experience

Additional areas of focus: LGBT, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Sleeping disorders, Anger management, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Aging and Geriatric Issues, Attachment Issues, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Blended Family Issues, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Chronic Pain Illness and Disability, Co-morbidity, Codependency, Communication Problems, Control Issues, Dependent Personality, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Dissociation, Divorce and Separation, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Emptiness, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, First Responder Issues, Forgiveness, Guilt and Shame, Hoarding, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Intellectual Disability, Isolation/Loneliness, Jealousy, Life Purpose, Men's Issues, Midlife Crisis, Military and Veterans Issues, Money and Financial Issues, Mood Disorders, Obsessions, Compulsions, and OCD, Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks, Paranoia, Personality Disorders, Phobias, Polyamory / Nonmonogamous Relationships, Post-traumatic Stress, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-Love, Smoking/Vaping Cessation, Social Anxiety and Phobia, Workplace Issues, Young Adult Issues

Clinical approaches: Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Gottman Method, Jungian Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy

License information

TN LCSW 0000007131

Reviews

These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Thom Barry. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.